REMARKS
Council Member Hudson's remarks on racial justice legislation
0:35:39
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95 sec
Council Member Crystal Hudson delivers remarks in support of Intro 242-A and related legislation addressing the legacy of slavery and racial injustice in New York City.
She highlights the ongoing impact of historical racism on Black New Yorkers and emphasizes the importance of confronting these issues through a truth, healing, and reconciliation process.
- Hudson references her "Black Agenda for New York City" which includes a city-wide truth healing and reconciliation process
- She mentions specific issues facing Black New Yorkers, including disproportionate police stops and predatory real estate practices
- The council member urges her colleagues to vote in favor of the legislation package
Crystal Hudson
0:35:39
Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to speak on intro 242 a, which the council is voting on today.
0:35:44
It should be no surprise that our city is still reckoning with the long shadow cast by the enslavement of African and indigenous American people, and its enduring impact on black Americans.
0:35:53
Since slavery was banned in New York in 18 27, our city still generated significant income from the illegal trade of enslaved people, and Black New Yorkers continued to experience racially motivated discrimination, riots, segregation, and violence.
0:36:06
And these practices continued to this day.
0:36:08
Black New Yorkers are eight times more likely to be stopped by the police under suspicion of a crime because of nothing more than the color of their skin.
0:36:15
Black homeowners in previously red line neighborhoods are preyed upon by real estate speculators looking to trick them into signing away their homes, commonly known as de theft.
0:36:23
New York City must confront these injustices head on and prioritize the needs of its black residents to forge a path toward genuine equity and healing.
0:36:31
My black agenda for New York City originally published in 2021 includes a comprehensive city wide truth healing and reconciliation process to acknowledge the breadth of the historical mistreatment of Black New Yorkers and confront the city's racist practices.
0:36:44
I'm proud that the passage of intro 242 a will make this a reality.
0:36:49
And by passing 242 a alongside intro 279 a, introduced by council members Lewis and Williams, and a number of other bills, the city council underscores its commitment to confronting and acknowledging the destructive racist policies that have harmed black communities.
0:37:03
I look forward to continuing to work alongside my colleagues and the council to dismantle the generations of systemic and structural anti black racism and ingrained in our city, and I urge all my colleagues to vote I.
0:37:13
Thank you.